AfriGeneas Military Research Forum Archive

I sympathise with the man who has called for a boycott on Cold Mountain and agree with him on several points, but I urge him to reconcider for a few reasons.

One is that I think he may not realise that for white people viewing a film about the civil war can be an intense experience. We never forget slavery or the things it led to. Sometimes a civil war film has just as much to do with white issues as black issues and more.

Second is that it is impossible to have a historically accurate film made by hollywood, because a hollywood writer, director, or producer isn't a historian. He or she isn't capable of making an accurate film, because he doesn't know the history. A film made by a historian is more of a documentary where they can take more time to explore all options.

Third this film in no way condoned slavery or the actions of the south. The heros were not pro slavery and black people were not totally ignored at all. They just weren't the stars of the film.

Fourth about 300,000 people died in the civil war and most of them were white. Can't we just watch a nice love movie about it and all get along? Please? Not everything is an issue. There are quite a few great movies like Amistad and Glory that focus on black issues. But not every film will. Let's just enjoy them all together and go watch our kids play together and drink coke.